


many attend, few understand

by inmyfashion



Category: Pitch (TV 2016), Veronica Mars (TV), Veronica Mars - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, MIKE LAWSON HUMAN DISASTER, keith mars loves the padres, there's a mystery to solve
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-16 13:20:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14165712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inmyfashion/pseuds/inmyfashion
Summary: Mike Lawson's in a jam--he's being blackmailed--and on the recommendation of a friend, ends up in sunny Neptune, California at Mars Investigations.





	many attend, few understand

**Author's Note:**

> hi, and welcome. a few things: I love Pitch and Veronica Mars. Keith Mars is an enormous Padres fan in canon, so I extrapolated from an idea from my lovely friend [MachaSWicket](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MachaSWicket/pseuds/MachaSWicket) (whose V.Mars fic you should go and read immediately), and this idea came about. 
> 
> Also, forgive my "$1 and get attorney privilege" thing. Idk if it's a thing or an urban legend, but what you should really get out of all of it is that I made Veronica take the bar because she freaking went to law school and graduated. No reason in the world she shouldn't take the California bar.
> 
> Any way, forgive the minor rant and enjoy the story maybe? Leave a comment and let me know what you think. x Jen

The late summer heat ekes its way through Neptune, taking the residents used to more temperate weather by surprise.

Windows and screen doors are still open, however, in hopes of encouraging the breeze to pick back up again.

A warm, dry gust of air happily blows through Mars Investigation, rustling the loose papers on the desk and making the errant wisps of hair at the nape of Veronica’s neck flap lazily.

The noise of the paper joins the clack of Veronica's fingers on the laptop and Keith’s intermittent sighs from the next room.

“Veronica, if we don't leave right now, we’re to miss the start of the movie.”

“Two minutes,” Veronica replies to her father's harried tone. She smirks and continues to type hastily. “Need I remind you that you've seen this movie no less than 50 times?”

“The beginning is the best part, and you're cutting into our weekly sanctioned daddy-daughter time with work. Who are you?”

“Pot meet kettle.”

“It's the King, Veronica. The King doing Jailhouse Rock.”

Veronica turns her head and chuckles at the figure Keith cuts as he attempts the Elvis swivel in the doorway while singing the song terribly off key.

“Be careful of breaking a hip, daddy-o,” she quips before she turns her attention back to the report in front of her.

“Just for that, I'm going to serenade you the whole way to the movie.”

Veronica laughs as Keith begins to do just that while he paces back into the outer office. The tinkle of the bell vibrates through the office as the door swings open letting in a rush of warm air.

“I’m sorry,” Keith begins. “We’re cl—”

“Dad?” Veronica asks when he stops talking. Her fingers pause over the keys and brow furrows as she waits for a response. “Dad?”

“Veronica!”

Her father's shout has her up and moving quickly around the desk and through the doorway, but she halts in a flash when her eyes shift from her father's gobsmacked expression to the man taking up space beneath the doorframe.

He's tall, but not overly so, and broad, so broad and incredibly sturdy looking and handsome even with the absurd beard he’s rocking. He's certainly unignorable.

“Oh my god,” Keith whispers reverently. He turns toward Veronica with a look of sheer wonder on his face. He bounces on the balls of his feet and clasps his hands together beneath his chin. “Veronica, it's Mike Lawson.”

Veronica smiles at her father before she shifts her attention to the famous Padres catcher who appears to take Keith's manic reverence in stride. He cracks a smile that's practiced, but still very kind and sticks a hand out to greet her father.

Who simply stands and stares at the gesture.

“Sorry,” Veronica says as she moves across the room and takes Mike’s hand. “I’m Veronica and this is my dad, Keith. He is the world’s biggest Padres fan. If we’d had a prescribed religion in our house, it would’ve been Padres baseball. Your name was gospel, Mr. Lawson.”

“It's Mike Lawson,” Keith whispers again, reverently.

Mike’s lips quirk into a half smile and he shrugs a big shoulder. “I'm honored. Should I—I think he might've started to say that you're closed, so—”

“Mike Lawson, Veronica.”

Veronica blinks and shakes her head. “I'm pretty sure if I turned you away, my dad would never speak to me again. Why don't you come in and have a seat, Mr. Lawson. You, too dad before you have a heart attack.”

The trio makes their way into the inner office, the reverential glee on Keith's face unshakeable.

Veronica gestures to the chair in front of the desk as she perches on the edge, letting her father take the seat behind it.

“It’s just Mike,” he replies as he sits.

“How can we help you, Mike?”

Mike shifts uneasily in the small chair, the breadth of his body somehow looking even more substantial in the bright blue button-down than when he was standing. He opens his mouth to speak before he throws another cursory glance at Keith. “I think I understand a little better why a friend recommended you.” The corner of Mike’s mouth quirks in a half smile before he turns his attention back to Veronica. “I'm in a bit of a situation.”

Keith’s shoulders drop and his demeanor shifts. “Will it make me change my very high opinion of you?”

“Dad!”

Mike barks out a laugh and rubs a hand across his face. “I sure hope not.”

Keith adopts a mien somewhere between happy and serious. “So, how can we help?”

“Uh, it's... well…” Mike stutters and sends his eyes around the room before they settle back on Veronica. She takes a moment to observe him while he struggles for words. He worries at that monstrosity of a beard with one hand while the other is tucked across his massive chest. “I'm being blackmailed. And I really need to find a way to put an end to it without any of the reason for the blackmail getting out. Especially to MLB.”

Veronica tilts her head and waits for him to continue. When he doesn't give up any more she crosses her arms and smirks. “Why are you being blackmailed?”

Mike clenches his jaw and lets out a sharp breath. “How confidential is this? Do I need to hire you first before you promise not to go to the press?”

“Given the recommendation you received and the fact you drove to Neptune for a PI, I'd stake my reputation on the fact that you already know we’re not in the business of sharing information that would harm our clients.

“But, if it'll make you feel better, I'm also a licensed attorney thanks to my father's insistence I take the California Bar, so give me a dollar and you can retain my services as well as my confidentiality.”

Mike eyes the diminutive blond, eyebrow slightly hitched as he pulls his wallet from his back pocket and hands over a $20 bill. “It’s all I’ve got.”

“Great,” Veronica says as she takes the $20 and slides it beneath her laptop. “Now, why are you being blackmailed?”

“After last year's World Series,” Mike begins only to have Keith cut him off.

“What an incredible game! What I wouldn't have done to be there to watch you bring it home. That last at bat was inspired.” Keith pushes back from the desk, gets in his at bat stance and swings through, a look of pure pride Veronica had only seen at her graduation ceremonies on his face. “And the farthest home run of the entire series. It was—”

“Dad.”

“Right, sorry,” Keith replies as he resumes his seat.

Mike cracks a smile and chuckles. “That was one of the best moments of my professional life. Who doesn't want their next to last season to be the one where they finally win their ring?”

“You're retiring?” Veronica asks. She starts to ask how he dad hasn't shared this information, but it's clear it's news to him as well.

Mike nods. “It's past time. This will be my last season, and we’re playing at the top of our game, so I haven't made the big announcement yet. I don't want to get into player's heads and break their concentration. Or jinx another shot at the Series. That's part of the reason why this blackmailing thing is so daunting. If it were just about me... well, I wouldn't give a damn frankly. Exploit me all you want, but—”

Mike pauses again and Veronica is moments away from shaking him. Or attempting to.

“After we won the series, Ginny Baker and I started dating.”

Keith's mouth drops open and Veronica expels a harsh breath. “Wow.”

Mike turns a sharp eye on her and shakes his head. “This isn't some lewd, half-baked thing. And it's not me trying to reclaim my youth or take advantage of the first woman in Major League Baseball. I waited 3 years, but I would’ve waited much longer for Ginny.

“After the series we just... it couldn't be helped. We'd been circling this and pushing it away and denying for so long we couldn't do it anymore. So, we decided not to wait.”

“So,” Veronica drawls as she gathers her thoughts. “You're in a secret relationship with one of your pitchers and someone's threatening to expose that. Who knows about you two?”

“Both of you, my best friend and his wife and that's it. And no, neither of them would ever do this. I'm willing to put my life on that.”

Veronica sighs and forgoes reciting the statistics and probability of it being one them. “So you and Ginny know about the blackmailer, what—”

“Ginny doesn't know about this,” Mike interrupts.

“Yikes,” Keith whispers with a shake of his head.

“You haven't told your girlfriend that someone is trying to out your relationship?” Veronica asks.

Mike shakes his head. “You don't know the bullshit she deals with on a day to day basis. I don't want her to worry about this, too. I don't want to give her another burden that relates to…”

He trails off and his shoulders creep steadily towards his ears. “Ginny hasn't had an easy go of it in the league. Everyone thought she was some flashy gimmick at the beginning, including me. I'm not proud of that, but she works harder than anyone I know. She doesn't deserve to have her name dragged through the mud because her aging captain stupidly fell in love.”

“So you do love her?” Veronica's question makes Mike's head snap up.

“Of course I do. This isn't a casual fling, Ms. Mars.”

“It's just Veronica,” she says with a smile. “And I don't think it's a fling, Mike or you wouldn't be here. I'm asking because when you love someone, you shouldn't take away their choice to know something. And a little free relationship advice—I may not personally know Ginny Baker, but she seems like a smart, determined young woman with a better head on her shoulders than most. Something tells me she really wouldn't like decisions being made on her behalf without her knowledge.Trust me when I say secrets can and will destroy a relationship.”

Mike stares at Veronica for a few beats and she's positive more than a few rookies and players have withered under that stare.

“As good as it was to win the Series,” Mike begins. “It doesn't come close to what it feels like to be with her. If someone wants to ruin my life, so be it, I've had my run. But Ginny’s too good. And she's just getting started. Will you help me Veronica?”

Veronica nods solemnly before turning and grinning at her dad. “This guy wouldn't let me say no, but I have one condition, Mike.”

“What is it?”

“Tell Ginny, because I'm about to be all up in your business.”

**Author's Note:**

> The title of this story is from the quote: "Baseball is like church. **Many attend, few understand.** -Leo Durocher


End file.
